The present invention relates to Internet web page browsing. In particular, the present invention relates to Internet web page browsing directed by touch tone input.
With the growth of the Internet have come very sophisticated Internet web page browsers. For example, both the Netscape Navigator™ browser and the Internet Explorer™ browser provide the user with the ability to move back and forth between hyperlinked web pages, view graphics, sound, and other multimedia files inline with, or separate from a web page, and interact with web sites (e.g., to provide order and billing information). Past Internet web page browsing technology, however, has relied heavily on the availability of a mouse or keyboard shortcuts to direct the browser.
Access to the Internet is available at virtually every phone jack in the world, for example, through TCP/IP, SLIP, and/or PPP dialup services. However, because past Internet web page browsing technology relied upon the mouse and keyboard inputs, effective Internet web page browsing has only been available, in the past, at those locations where a computer is available to direct the browser. In other words, in a substantial number of situations where an individual is not in front a computer, Internet web page browsing is impossible.
One previous attempt at providing remote access to Internet web pages is found in U.S. Pat. No. 5,953,392, entitled “Method and Apparatus for Telephonically Accessing and Navigating the Internet” to Rhie et al. The Rhie patent, however, starts the user at a default web page that in turn provides links to other web pages. Thus, Rhie does not provide a convenient mechanism that allows the user to move directly to a desired web page. In addition, a system is needed that interprets and presents the most up-to-date and complex HTML structures found in web pages, newsgroup threads, and embedded links in e-mail messages to the user in an intelligible manner.
A need exists in the industry for a touch tone voice internet service that addresses the problems noted above and others previously experienced.